Instructions
Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your ability. Have fun exploring the amazing world of rocks!
Part 1: Rock Questions
Instructions: Circle the best answer for each question below.
- What is hot, melted rock called when it is still inside the Earth?
- A) Lava
- B) Magma
- C) Sediments
- Which type of rock is formed when magma or lava cools down and becomes solid?
- A) Igneous Rock
- B) Sedimentary Rock
- C) Metamorphic Rock
- What are the tiny pieces of broken-down rock, sand, and shells called?
- A) Layers
- B) Fossils
- C) Sediments
- Which type of rock is made from layers of sediment being pressed together over a very long time?
- A) Igneous Rock
- B) Sedimentary Rock
- C) Metamorphic Rock
- Great heat and pressure can change an igneous or sedimentary rock into a new type of rock. What is it called?
- A) Magma Rock
- B) Changed Rock
- C) Metamorphic Rock
- Which of these is an example of an igneous rock?
- A) Marble
- B) Sandstone
- C) Granite
- Fossils are most often found in which type of rock?
- A) Igneous Rock
- B) Sedimentary Rock
- C) Metamorphic Rock
- The process that breaks big rocks down into smaller pieces is called:
- A) Melting
- B) Weathering
- C) Squeezing
- The journey a rock takes as it changes from one type to another is called the:
- A) Rock Road
- B) Rock Cycle
- C) Rock Path
- What does the word "metamorphic" mean?
- A) To change form
- B) To be made of fire
- C) To be made of layers
Instructions: Read each sentence. Circle TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if it is incorrect.
- All rocks on Earth are the exact same. TRUE / FALSE
- The rock cycle has a beginning and an end. TRUE / FALSE
- Heat and pressure help create metamorphic rocks. TRUE / FALSE
- A volcano erupting lava can help form igneous rocks. TRUE / FALSE
- Sandstone is a type of metamorphic rock. TRUE / FALSE
Instructions: Draw a line to match the word on the left to its correct description on the right.
- Igneous Rock
- Sedimentary Rock
- Metamorphic Rock
- Lava
- Fossil
A. A rock that has been changed by being baked and squeezed.
B. The remains of an ancient plant or animal preserved in rock.
C. Melted rock that flows out of a volcano.
D. A rock formed from cooled magma or lava.
E. A rock made of layers of sand, mud, and shells.
Part 2: Thinking About Rocks
Instructions: Use the words in the box to fill in the blanks in the sentences below.
magma cycle layers pressure heat
- The rock ______________ never stops, as rocks are always changing.
- Melted rock found deep inside the Earth is called ______________.
- Metamorphic rocks are created by great ______________ and ______________.
- You can often see ______________ in sedimentary rocks.
Instructions: Write your answer on the lines provided.
- Name the three main types of rocks.
_________________________________________________________________ - How does a sedimentary rock turn into a metamorphic rock?
_________________________________________________________________ - Why don't we find fossils in igneous rocks?
_________________________________________________________________ - What is one thing in nature that can cause weathering (breaking down rocks)?
_________________________________________________________________
Instructions: Use your artistic skills to draw the pictures described below!
- Draw a picture of a sedimentary rock. Show the different layers and maybe even include a fossil of a fish or a shell!
- Draw the rock cycle! Use arrows to show how one rock can turn into another. You can draw a volcano for igneous, layers for sedimentary, and a "squished" rock for metamorphic.
Answer Key
Part 1: Rock Questions
- B) Magma
- A) Igneous Rock
- C) Sediments
- B) Sedimentary Rock
- C) Metamorphic Rock
- C) Granite
- B) Sedimentary Rock
- B) Weathering
- B) Rock Cycle
- A) To change form
- FALSE
- FALSE (The rock cycle is continuous and has no end.)
- TRUE
- TRUE
- FALSE (Sandstone is a sedimentary rock.)
- 16 -> D (Igneous Rock -> A rock formed from cooled magma or lava.)
- 17 -> E (Sedimentary Rock -> A rock made of layers of sand, mud, and shells.)
- 18 -> A (Metamorphic Rock -> A rock that has been changed by being baked and squeezed.)
- 19 -> C (Lava -> Melted rock that flows out of a volcano.)
- 20 -> B (Fossil -> The remains of an ancient plant or animal preserved in rock.)
Part 2: Thinking About Rocks
- The rock cycle never stops, as rocks are always changing.
- Melted rock found deep inside the Earth is called magma.
- Metamorphic rocks are created by great heat and pressure. (Order can be reversed).
- You can often see layers in sedimentary rocks.
- Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic.
- It gets buried deep in the Earth where there is a lot of heat and pressure. (Or similar answer explaining it gets baked and squeezed).
- The heat from the magma or lava would destroy/melt the fossil. (Or similar answer).
- Wind, rain, ice/freezing water, or rivers. (Any one of these is a correct answer).
- (Drawing of a rock with clear horizontal lines/layers. Bonus for a fossil shape).
- (Drawing showing a cycle with arrows connecting igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Simple representations are fine, e.g., volcano -> layers -> squished rock -> volcano).